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Interbike to allow consumers into B2B show for first time

Interbike to allow consumers into B2B show for first time

This week’s Interbike trade show held a Ride 2 Recovery bike ride event Tuesday morning that involved injured war vets leading a bike ride from the Mandalay Bay Convention Center to the Interbike demo event at Bootleg Canyon park in Boulder City. Here, a triple amputee war vet talks with other bicyclists right before the ride started at 8 a.m. (Alan Snel/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Interbike to allow consumers into B2B show for first time

Pay Hus, who oversees the national bicycle trade show called Interbike, says momentum was building to allow consumers — the most loyal customers of retail bike shops — into Interbike. On Friday, a limited number of consumers at $50 per person will be allowed to walk the Interbike floor. (Alan Snel/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Interbike to allow consumers into B2B show for first time

This week’s Interbike trade show held a Ride 2 Recovery bike ride event Tuesday morning that involved injured war vets leading a bike ride from the Mandalay Bay Convention Center to the Interbike demo event at Bootleg Canyon park in Boulder City. Here, a triple amputee war vet talks with other bicyclists right before the ride started at 8 a.m. (Alan Snel/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Interbike to allow consumers into B2B show for first time

Pay Hus, who oversees the national bicycle trade show called Interbike, says momentum was building to allow consumers — the most loyal customers of retail bike shops — into Interbike. On Friday, a limited number of consumers at $50 per person will be allowed to walk the Interbike floor. (Alan Snel/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

By ALAN SNELLAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Interbike, the national bicycle trade show that begins Wednesday in Las Vegas, will allow consumers into the business-to-business show for the first time on Friday — but only under certain conditions.

In past years, Interbike was the exclusive domain for exhibitors, retailers and industry officials looking to scout and order bike products showcased by hundreds of companies in the $6 billion-a-year industry. The problem was exhibitors gave free credentials to their pals, which meant hundreds of nonindustry people who were not interested in ordering bicycle goods sauntered down aisles gobbling up swag.

But this year, Interbike organizers are unveiling an “Interbike by Invitation” program, which allows registered retail bike shops to invite their most loyal customers to the final show day at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

For a $50 per consumer fee, retail shop owners can give their best patrons access to Interbike when Friday’s doors open at 9 a.m. The deal includes a free subscription to Bicycling magazine and a swag bag. The last day’s hours will also be extended from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

“We needed to involve the retailers,” said Pat Hus, Interbike managing director. “We want to make sure their highest quality customers got to see the latest and greatest.”

There are also two other ways to walk the Interbike floor on Friday.

Participants who sign up for Saturday’s Viva Bike Vegas Gran Fondo bicycle ride will also be permitted to enter Interbike on Friday. For $20, Viva Bike Vegas riders can enter at 11 a.m.

And if you buy a $10 CrossVegas bike race ticket to watch that event, just bring your ticket stub and pay $25 and you, too, can get into Interbike’s final day at 11 a.m.

“There has been a lot of discussion about letting in the consumer,” Hus said. “There was momentum to add this day, to add a consumer day … We’ll learn a lot this year and build upon it for next year.”

But there’s a hitch to Friday’s show: Purchases will not be allowed at exhibitor booths and security will be beefed up to prohibit consumers from leaving the show with any products. In past years, it was not unusual for some exhibitors to sell products on the afternoon of the final day.

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